The main day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Azerbaijan begins on Monday. This marks the third in-person meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2024.
The centerpiece of the visit will be two rounds of bilateral talks, conducted in both narrow and extended formats. These discussions will focus on Russia-Azerbaijan relations as well as pressing regional and international political issues, with particular attention to the Azerbaijan-Armenia settlement. In addition to the talks, Putin and Aliyev will participate in traditional memorial ceremonies and visit key sites in Baku, including the White City and the Cathedral of Holy Myrrh-bearing Women.
Following the visit, a Joint Statement of the Heads of State is expected to be issued, along with the signing of intergovernmental and other agreements.
Azerbaijani-Armenian Settlement
According to materials prepared for the upcoming meeting between Putin and Aliyev, "the presidents will exchange views on pressing regional and international political issues, particularly concerning the Azerbaijani-Armenian settlement." The Russian side has expressed its readiness to continue offering all possible assistance in normalizing Azerbaijan's relations with Armenia. "Key objectives include signing a peace treaty, advancing the process of delimiting and demarcating the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, and unblocking transportation, logistics, and economic links in the region—based on the well-known trilateral agreements reached at the highest level between 2020 and 2022," the materials state.
Russia has been deeply involved in seeking a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in Karabakh following a joint statement in November 2020 by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, along with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announcing a complete cessation of hostilities in the region. Subsequently, a memorandum was signed to establish a Russian-Turkish center to monitor the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh and ensure compliance with the trilateral agreements. The Russian peacekeeping force included 1,960 personnel with small arms, 90 armored personnel carriers, and 380 units of automotive and specialized equipment. The peacekeepers' mission was set for a five-year term, with an automatic extension for another five years unless either party declared its intention to terminate the agreement six months before the term's expiration.
Following another escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, the region was fully returned to Baku's control. The president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shahramanyan, signed a decree terminating its existence as of January 1, 2024. On April 17, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the region had commenced.
Economic Agenda
On the bilateral front, both Putin and Aliyev have noted that their countries interact "successfully, reliably, and very pragmatically," with relations developing dynamically. Both states are committed to building interstate ties based on mutual interest and goodwill.
Trade and economic figures support this positive outlook. In 2023, Russia's trade turnover with Azerbaijan reached $4.1 billion, and in the first half of this year, it grew by 7.1% to $2 billion. Russian direct investment in Azerbaijan amounts to approximately $4.2 billion, with over 1,270 companies with Russian capital operating in the country.
Cooperation in the fuel and energy sector is also a significant focus. Russian and Azerbaijani companies are collaborating in oil and gas development, including projects on the Caspian Sea shelf, as well as in processing and transportation.
Lukoil is one of the largest investors in Azerbaijan, participating in the development of the Shah Deniz gas condensate field and operating a network of gas stations across the country. Rosneft collaborates with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
(SOCAR) in exploration and production activities, as well as in the supply of oil products. As Aliyev mentioned earlier, "there are new ideas in the energy sector."
In addition, joint efforts are underway to develop the international transportation corridor "North-South," with its western "branch" passing through Azerbaijan along the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan is also becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination for Russians. In 2023, approximately 600,000 Russian tourists visited the country, and in the first half of this year, the tourist flow reached 430,000.
Humanitarian Ties
In terms of humanitarian cooperation, both sides are working to expand their existing connections. For instance, Russian Culture Days were held in Baku from June 24-26.
Special emphasis is placed on supporting the Russian language. According to Aliyev, about 1 million students in Azerbaijan study in Russian, with 150,000 attending Russian schools and 800,000 learning Russian as a second language.
Approximately 8,000 Azerbaijani students are enrolled in Russian universities, with over 1,000 of them studying on federal budget scholarships. Annually, more than 200 scholarships are awarded to Azerbaijani citizens. Baku is home to branches of Moscow State University and the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, along with more than 300 Russian-language schools.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS